Travel Guide to Mount Vesuvius

What’s the main reason people enjoy visiting here?

Mt Vesuivius is one of the most active volcanoes in europe, and it’s the only one that’s still active and located on the european mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, it’s most recently occuring in 1944. The Volcano is famous all over the world for his eruption in 79 DC that lcaused the destruction of Pompeii and Hercolaneum, now considered to be the best preserved Roman cities in the world. The volcano has been very quiet for the last 65 years, and it is for this reason that is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Because it has been quiet for so long voulcanologists believe that next eruption will be very large, the scale of destruction increasing again due to the fact that over 3 milion people live in the direct path of a potential eruption. If you intend on climbing Vesuvius a perfect place to base your trip is the city of Naples, from which the volcano is reachable within an hour.

How to get by bus to the top of Vesuvius From Naples

If you decide to climb the volcano you certainly won’t be disappointed, and getting there is very simple. From Naples you take the train to Pompeii: the ‘Circunvesuiana’ train from Naples city centre takes 20 minutes to arrive at Pompeii, and the ‘SITA’ train and bus leave every 30 minutes. A one-way ticket from Naples to Pompeii costs 2,40€. Once you are in Pompeii, inside the Pompeii station you will find the ticket office ‘VESUVIANA MOBILITA’; and it is from here that you buy the ticket (price 8,60€) for the bus that takes you from immediately outside Pompeii station to the top of the volcano. From here it is roughly 30 minutes walk to the crater itself.

And for those who would rather walk it?

If you enjoy walking, climbing Vesuivius from the very bottom really is a fantastic experience. On the way up you can admire the beautiful natural park and the flora that grow on the lava. The best place to base your stay and plan your climb is the nearby city of Naples. From here it is best to wake early, and catch the Circunvesuiana from Napoli to Ercolano (Hercolaneum), where most begin their ascent. Outside the station in Ercolano simply follow the signs; the hike will take around 3 or 4 hours. If you can’t face the trek down you can always catch the bus back from the top!

If you are looking for a place to stay in Naples from which you can begin your trip to Vesuvius, we thoroughly recommend a stay at ‘Hostel Of The Sun’ , more info ww.hostelnapoli.com.

Here they provide top rated accommodation, which comes recommended by all the major travel guides: ‘Lonely planet’, ‘Rough Guide’, ‘Let’s go Europe’, ‘Frommer’s’ , and ‘Guide Du Routrad’ to name a few. This place has reputation of being safe, clean and very welcoming, always winning awards and is considered one of the best if not the best hostel in Italy. Prices start from 16 euros per person including breakfast, free internet and use of a common room and kitchen.